Apparatus, method and program for processing information acquired through a network

• US 20030223094A1
• Filed: 05/21/2003
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Naito, Kikuo
• Granted Patent: US 7,317,549 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/121 Facilitating exception or error detection and recovery, e.g. fault, media or consumables depleted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1236 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1287 via internet

Abstract

An information processing system appropriately switches communication protocols to acquire content printing information or printing service information from one of a content provider and a printing service provide via a network when contents are to be printed using a number of content providers via the network.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for communicating with another apparatus that provides content printing information required to perform a printing operation based on content data, the information processing apparatus comprising:

a communication protocol storage unit adapted to store information representing at least one communication protocol, which is used when data is acquired from the other apparatus;

a communication protocol determining unit adapted to determine a communication protocol that is used to acquire the data from the other apparatus based on the information stored in the communication protocol storage unit;

an acquisition unit adapted to acquire the content printing information from the other apparatus using the communication protocol determined by the communication protocol determining unit; and

a generating unit adapted to generate data representing a screen for setting printing conditions, based on the content printing information acquired by the acquisition unit, wherein the screen for setting the printing conditions is presented based on the data generated by the generating unit.

2. A method of processing information, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a communication protocol based on information representing at least one communication protocol when data is acquired from an apparatus that provides content printing information required to perform a printing operation based on content data;

acquiring the content printing information from the apparatus using the communication protocol determined in the determining step; and

generating data representing a screen for setting printing conditions, based on the content printing information acquired in the acquiring step,

wherein the screen for setting the printing conditions is presented based on the data generated in the generating step.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the determining step comprises successively selecting a plurality of communication protocols based on information representing the plurality of communication protocols, which are used to acquire data from a plurality of apparatuses.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein the determining step comprises determining a communication protocol corresponding to the apparatus, which is working as a source of data, based on information which represents, for each of a plurality of apparatuses, at least one communication protocol used when data is acquired from the plurality of apparatuses.

5. A method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

acquiring content data from an apparatus using the communication protocol determined in the determining step; and

performing a printing operation under the printing conditions set on the screen, based on the content data acquired in the step of acquiring content data.

6. A computer-program product embodying program codes for implementing a method of processing information, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a communication protocol based on information representing at least one communication protocol when data is acquired from an apparatus that provides content printing information required to perform a printing operation based on content data;

acquiring the content printing information from the apparatus using the communication protocol determined in the determining step; and

generating data representing a screen for setting printing conditions, based on the content printing information acquired in the acquiring step,

wherein the screen for setting the printing conditions is presented based on the data generated in the generating step.

7. An information processing apparatus for communicating with another apparatus that provides printing service information relating to printing services for performing a printing operation based on content data, the information processing apparatus comprising:

a communication protocol storage unit adapted to store information representing at least one communication protocol, which is used when data is acquired from another apparatus;

a communication protocol determining unit adapted to determine a communication protocol that is used to acquire the data from the other apparatus based on the information stored in the communication protocol storage unit;

an acquisition unit adapted to acquire the printing service information from the other apparatus using the communication protocol determined by the communication protocol determining unit; and

a generating unit adapted to generate data representing a screen for setting printing conditions, based on the printing service information acquired by the acquisition unit, wherein the screen for setting the printing conditions is presented based on the data generated by the generating unit.

8. A method of processing information, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a communication protocol based on information representing at least one communication protocol, when data is acquired from an apparatus that provides printing service information relating to printing services for performing a printing operation based on content data;

acquiring the printing service information from the apparatus using the communication protocol determined in the determining step; and

generating data representing a screen for setting printing conditions, based on the printing service information acquired in the acquiring step,

wherein the screen for setting the printing conditions is presented based on the data generated in the generating step.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the determining step comprises successively selecting a plurality of communication protocols based on information representing the plurality of communication protocols, which are used to acquire data from a plurality of apparatuses.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein the determining step comprises determining a communication protocol corresponding to the apparatus, which is working as a source of data, based on information that represents, for each of a plurality of apparatuses, at least one communication protocol used when data is acquired from the plurality of apparatuses.

11. A method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of requesting an apparatus to perform a printing operation based on content data, in accordance with the printing service information acquired in the acquiring step.

12. A computer-program product embodying program codes for implementing a method of processing information, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a communication protocol based on information representing at least one communication protocol, when data is acquired from an apparatus that provides printing service information relating to printing services for performing a printing operation based on content data;

acquiring the printing service information from the apparatus using the communication protocol determined in the determining step; and

generating data representing a screen for setting printing conditions, based on the printing service information acquired in the acquiring step,

wherein the screen for setting the printing conditions is presented based on the data generated in the generating step.

13. An information processing apparatus for communicating with another apparatus that provides content data, the information processing apparatus comprising:

a communication protocol storage unit adapted to store information representing at least one communication protocol which is used when data is acquired from the other apparatus;

a communication protocol determining unit adapted to determine a communication protocol that is used to acquire the data from the other apparatus based on the information stored in the communication protocol storage unit;

an acquisition unit adapted to acquire the content data from the other apparatus using the communication protocol determined by the communication protocol determining unit; and

a generating unit adapted to generate data representing a screen for setting printing conditions when the content data acquired by the acquisition unit is to be printed,

wherein the screen for setting the printing conditions is presented based on the data generated by the generating unit.

14. A method of processing information, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a communication protocol based on information representing at least one communication protocol when data is acquired from an apparatus that provides content data;

acquiring the content data from the apparatus using the communication protocol determined in the determining step; and

generating data representing a screen for setting printing conditions when the content data acquired in the acquiring step is to be printed,

wherein the screen for setting the printing conditions is presented based on the data generated in the generating step.

15. A computer-program product embodying program codes implementing a method of processing information, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a communication protocol based on information representing at least one communication protocol, when data is acquired from an apparatus that provides data content;

acquiring the content data from the apparatus using the communication protocol determined in the determining step; and

generating data representing a screen for setting printing conditions when the content data acquired in the acquiring step is to be printed,

wherein the screen for setting the printing conditions is presented based on the data generated in the generating step.